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I took a run up and launched, praying to any and all deities that I wasn’t going to make an idiot of myself. My body just kind of took over and I managed one cartwheel and a sort of flip before I stumbled a little and (un)gracefully fell on my butt.
“Wow!” Maddy yelled and I rolled onto my stomach to look at her with a smile. “Teach me!”
She ran over and I spent the rest of the afternoon teaching – or, trying to teach – her how to cartwheel while Roman watched and was incredibly chatty and unhelpful. We’d made some progress by the time Roman’s mum got home from work and she found us outside. I didn’t notice she’d been standing there until I realised Roman was talking to her.
“She’s been all right. How was work?” he asked. I saw him kiss her temple and take his arm off from around her shoulders.
“Fine. Same old,” she answered.
Maddy looked up and broke into a grin. “Grandma!” she giggled and ran over to latch onto her waist.
I stood awkwardly for a moment.
“Uh, Mum, you know Piper Barlow?”
She nodded and threw Roman a look like she wondered if he was on something. “Of course I know Piper.” She gave me a conspiratorial smile. “How are you, dear?”
I smiled. “Fine, thanks, Carmen. How about you?”
Carmen gave me a smile that didn’t reach her tired eyes. “Still going. Could you tell your mum that I will definitely bring that chicken recipe to book club this week? She’s been on me for months about it.” I nodded as she chuckled, then looked down at Maddy. “How about we wash up and get dinner on?”
“I’ll help!” Maddy cried and hurried inside.
“Hands first!” Carmen called after her. “Thanks for that, Piper. You don’t have to indulge her.” She smiled at me kindly.
“Oh… For…? No, that’s fine. I wasn’t doing anything anyway. I had a good day.”
Carmen looked between me and Roman and I saw him shift weirdly. I couldn’t help but smile, or try to hide a smile. Carmen rose an eyebrow in my direction and I did smile at her then.
“Are you home tonight, Roman?” she asked slowly.
“For dinner.” He wouldn’t look at either of us.
“After that?”
He looked uncomfortable and I suddenly wondered what his mum thought he was up to when he was out all night. I mean, I didn’t think she was an idiot. But, I wondered what went through her mind. No one at school knew exactly what he got up to. I couldn’t imagine what Carmen thought, when he wasn’t being brought home by the police obviously.
“I don’t know yet.”
“Oh, don’t worry about me,” I said to him, waving a hand weirdly. I wasn’t sure if he didn’t want to make plans in case we both found ourselves at the lake again, or so we would, or because I might expect it. Still, I probably could have phrased that differently.
Both Carmen and Roman looked at me in question.
“Oh,” I chuckled. “I mean, Roman’s been… We…” I cleared my throat and found semi-bullshit coming out, “That is, he was teaching me how to skip stones the last couple of nights and I’m terrible at it…”
Roman’s eyebrow rose and I could see him fighting a smirk. Carmen’s face softened considerably as she looked at me.
Well, that gives me some idea of what she thinks he’s up to…
“He’s been with you?” she asked me.
I nodded far too quickly. “Well, I mean… We didn’t plan it. Just, we hung out at the lake the last couple of nights. Just chatting you know, and uh–”
“Skipping stones, listening to music,” Roman finished, humour in his voice, and I nodded.
“Oh,” Carmen smiled warmly. “Well, no. If you have plans, by all means…”
“I mean,” I shrugged, my hands clasped in front of me awkwardly, “they’re not set or anything.”
